Saline County Arkansas
Code of Ordinances
1999
Chapter 14
EMERGENCY SERVICES*
Sec. 14-1. 9-1-1 telephone service charge.
Sec. 14-2. Rescue fund.
Sec. 14-3. Standard operating Saline County 9-1-1 Communications Procedures Manual.
Sec. 14-4. 911 communications advisory board.
Sec. 14-5. Inspection of alarm systems; assessing fines for excessive false alarms.
*Cross references -- Fire prevention and protection, ch. 18; law enforcement, ch. 34.
Sec. 14-1. 9-1-1 telephone service charge.
(a) A five percent 9-1-1 service charge shall be levied on the basic tariff rate approved by the state public service commission on access lines of the telephone system.
(b) The five percent service charge shall begin to be collected May 1, 1987, or sooner if possible.
(c) The service charge shall be collected by the various telephone companies servicing the county area and shall be subject to the appropriate administrative fee as outlined by state statute.
(d) The service charge shall be turned over to the county treasurer on a quarterly basis, less an administrative fee.
(Ord. No. 87-6, §§ 1--4, 3-9-87)
Cross references -- Taxation, ch. 58; utilities, ch. 70.
State law reference -- Fee authorized, collection thereof, etc., A.C.A. § 12-10-318 et seq.
Sec. 14-2. Rescue fund.
There is hereby established a county emergency rescue fund in accordance with A.C.A. § 27-101-111(c)(1).
(Ord. No. 87-32, art. 1, 9-14-87)
Sec. 14-3. Standard operating Saline County 9-1-1 Communications Procedures Manual.
The 9-1-1 Communications Procedures Manual is hereby adopted by reference. All current and newly hired employees of the office of emergency services and 911 communications shall be given a copy of this manual. Policies contained in this manual shall be strictly adhered to.
(Ord. No. 92-32, § 1, 6-17-92)
Sec. 14-4. 911 communications advisory board.
(a) Pursuant to the provisions of A.C.A. 14-14-705, a 911 communications advisory board is hereby created for the purpose of gathering information, furnishing advice, making recommendations and performing any other activities to enhance the performance of the county 911 communications center.
(b) The 911 advisory board shall consist of the following members to be appointed by the county judge to serve terms not to exceed there years:
Private citizen;
All mayors of incorporated cities on their designees;
County sheriff or designee;
Representative from ambulance service;
Representative from the county fire association; and County Judge.
(Ord. No. 98-49, Arts. 1,2,8-18-98)
Editor's note --Ord. No. 98-49, Arts. 1 and 2 adopted Aug. 18, 1998, did not specifically amend the Code; hence inclusion as § 14-4 was at the editor's discretion.
Sec. 14-5. Inspection of alarm systems; assessing fines for excessive false alarms.
(a) Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning.
Alarm system means any mechanical or electrical device that is arranged, designed or used to signal the occurrence in the county of a burglary, robbery or other criminal offense, fire emergency or medical emergency requiring urgent attention and to which law enforcement, fire or emergency medical personnel are expected to respond. Alarm systems include those through which public safety personnel are notified indirectly by way of third persons who monitor the alarm systems and who report such signals to the fire or law enforcement departments and those designed to register a signal which is so audible, visible, or in other ways perceptible outside a protected building, structure or facility as to notify persons in the neighborhood beyond the zoning lot where the signal is located who in turn may notify the law enforcement for fire department of the signal. "Alarm systems" does not include those alarms affixed to automobiles; furthermore, such term does not include auxiliary devices installed by telephone companies to protect telephone equipment or systems which might be damaged or disrupted by the use of an alarm system. Alarms in separate structures are to be counted as separate systems even though owned by the same person or entity.
False alarm means an alarm signal eliciting a response by law enforcement or the fire department when a situation requiring a response does not in fact exist. "False alarm" does not include an alarm signal caused by violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm business operator or alarm user.
Alarms resulting from the following conditions are not considered false alarms:
(1) Criminal activity or unauthorized entry;
(2) Telephone line malfunction verified in writing to the county by at least a first-line telephone company supervisor;
(3) Electrical service interruption, verified in writing to the county by local power company;
(4) Communication to the law enforcement or fire department before a unit is dispatched to investigate clearly indicating that the alarm resulted from authorized entry, authorized system test, or other noncriminal cause; or
(5) An alarm caused on the reasonable but mistaken belief that a burglary, robbery or other criminal offense, fire emergency, or medical emergency is in progress.
(6) Activation of a lighting or audible device not connected by telephone or other means to alert law enforcement personnel or third parties contracted to notify law enforcement personnel. However, should the repeated or habitual activation of such a device unreasonably and consistently falsely deploy and thereby annoy neighboring property owners, the sheriff may in writing to the property owner, declare such a device to be a false alarm for the purposes of this section.
(b) Response to alarms; inspection of alarm system.
(1) Whenever an alarm is activated in the county thereby requiring an emergency response to the location by the sheriff or fire department and the sheriff or fire department does respond, the sheriff or fire department personnel on the scene of the activated alarm system shall inspect the area protected by the system and shall determine whether the emergency response was in fact required as indicated by the alarm system or whether the alarm signal was a false alarm.
(2) If the sheriff or fire department personnel at the scene of the activated alarm system determines the alarm to be false, the officers shall make a report of the false alarm.
(3) The sheriff or the fire department chief or his designee shall have the right to inspect any alarm system on the premises to which a response has been made, and he may cause an inspection of such system to be made at any reasonable time thereafter.
(c) Excessive false alarms; fine assessment.
(1) In the first instance that an alarm system produces three false alarms in any calendar month, the chief of the involved department shall provide written notice of the fact, which shall be given by certified mail or delivery to the subscriber, asking the subscriber to take corrective action in regard to false alarms and informing the subscriber to take corrective action in regard to false alarms and informing the subscriber of the false alarm fine schedule provided in this subsection (c). On subsequent instances of more than three false alarms within a single calendar month, the subscriber will be in violation of this section. The violation shall be a criminal offense to be brought in the county municipal court and is punishable by the fine schedule set out in this section.
(2) Upon any alarm system producing a fourth, fifth or sixth false alarm in a calendar month, a fine of $25.00 per false alarm shall be charged to the subscriber. The following fine schedule shall be used for each additional false alarm:
a. Seventh, eighth and ninth false alarms in a calendar month, a fine of $50.00 per false alarm shall be assessed.
b. Ten or more false alarms in a calendar month, a fine of $100.00 per false alarm shall be assessed.
(3) If the subscriber is a firm, corporation, partnership or other entity, the principal or employee directly responsible for the operation of the enterprise at the location from which the false alarm was initiated shall be responsible for the payment of any fine assessments levied in accordance with this subsection (c).
(4) Subscribers installing a new system or making substantial modifications to an existing system shall be entitled to a grace period during which alarms generated by such system shall be deemed nonfalse alarms. The grace period shall cease 30 days after installation of or modification to an alarm system.
(Ord. No. 98-65, Arts 1--3, 9-15-98)
Editor's note -- Ord. No. 98-65, Arts. 1--3, adopted Sept, 15, 1998, did not specifically amend this Code; hence inclusion as § 14-5was at the editor's discretion.
Chapter 1 - General Provisions
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Chapter 18 - Fire Prevention and Protection
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Chapter 30 - Historic Preservation
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Chapter 54 - Roads and Bridges
Chapter 62 - Traffic and Vehicles
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